As he strengthened himself, his soul constantly grew in power. And then, as he continuously, slowly gained insights… suddenly, he had broken through and become a Deity!
In that instant of becoming a Deity, George had regained all of his memories.
He knew that in the past his name had been… George.
As a senior minister of the former Yulan Empire, George’s diplomatic skills and interpersonal relationship skills were far superior to Linley. When they were young and at the Ernst Institute, George made friends very easily, and in the government of the Yulan Empire, he had been at home as a fish in water.
Now, he was in a base for bandits.
Perhaps bandits were talented in training and battle, but with regards to management, they were far inferior to George. Thus, everyone whole-heartedly acknowledged George’s talents as housekeeper.
“Right now, my first goal is to gain enough money in order to buy a house within a city.” George had already made a plan for himself. “Afterwards, I will train within the city in safety! By then, I won’t have to spend so much energy.” As housekeeper for this mountain range, George’s status was very high, second only to the leader of their mountain range. He could have easily acquired a God-level divine spark and fused with it, but he didn’t want to.
He wanted to independently become a Deity!
Thus, although he didn’t dare to openly embezzle, given his abilities, if he were to secretly secrete a large amount of wealth into his own interspatial ring, how would others be able to find out?
If someone had enough money, why would they want to stay in a bandit’s nest?
“Unfortunately, Third Bro is in the Infernal Realm. It will be very hard to see him again.” George sighed to himself.
NORTHBONE PREFECTURE WAS INDEED VAST. The metallic lifeform Linley was riding flew for several months before reaching the grasslands outside the City of Hide.
“This residence of the Lord Prefect of Northbone Prefecture feels like a city,” Bebe stared through the window and spoke out in praise. “The forces stationed here number in the hundreds of thousands, and they are arranged into rows of houses. They really do seem quite imposing. And that tall castle in the center… that must be the actual residence of the Lord Prefect.”
Linley looked over as well. That tall castle was over a hundred meters tall, and was an ivory white color.
“I hope the Lord Prefect is at home.” Linley sighed to himself. “If this Lord Prefect isn’t present, we would’ve made this trip for nothing.” Linley immediately stored away his metallic lifeform, and then he and Bebe flew towards the distant residence.
The residence of the Lord Prefect of Northbone Prefecture was naturally under heavy guard, and many prefectural soldiers were on patrol.
“Who goes there!” the distant soldiers shouted from far away, before Linley even drew near.
But Linley and Bebe continued to fly over. Tens of prefectural soldiers immediately flew forward, with the leader being a soldier with a single horn on his forehead. The leader barked, “This is the residence of the Lord Prefect. Outsiders are not permitted to wander about freely here. The two of you had best leave immediately.”
“Please go report to the Lord Prefect that Elder ‘Linley’ of the Four Divine Beasts clan wishes to pay his respects.” Linley laughed calmly.
“And are we supposed to believe that you are an Elder of the Four Divine Beasts clan just because you say you are?” The leader of the soldiers snickered.
Linley laughed calmly. An earthen yellow aura spread out from his body, immediately capturing the soldiers within it, catching them completely off-guard. Their bodies trembled, and they fell down to the ground. Gritting their teeth, they just barely made it back to their feet.
“Now do you believe me?” Linley laughed calmly, while at the same time withdrawing the earthen yellow light.
“I believe you, I believe you,” the soldier said hurriedly.
He had been completely stunned. The power of the Gravitational Space made him completely convinced that this person in front of him was definitely someone of the Seven Star Fiend level. “The two of you, please wait here a moment… I’ll go make the report,” the horned soldier said, and then immediately turned and flew towards the tall castle.
“Is your Lord Prefect present?” Linley queried the other soldiers.
These soldiers all understood that the two in front of them were extraordinary figures. One of them, a big-bearded soldier, laughed in response, “Milord, We are just ordinary soldiers. If the Lord Prefect was to leave, we probably wouldn’t be made aware of it. Soon, when the captain returns, we’ll know.”
Linley could only wait there quietly, while Bebe mumbled, “I hope the Lord Prefect didn’t head out.”
Moments later…
“Lord Linley, Lord Linley,” the soldier who had made the report shouted from far away as he flew back, moving like a flash, his face covered in smiles. “When the Lord Prefect learned that you had arrived, milord, he was extremely happy. He’s already ordered a feast to be prepared for you. Lord Linley, please follow me this way.”
Hearing this, Linley couldn’t help but exchange glances with Bebe.
“So friendly?” Bebe mumbled.
“That’s a good thing.” Linley laughed, then immediately flew forwards. “Lead the way!”
While hurrying towards the castle, Bebe asked through divine sense in a puzzled manner “Boss, it seems as though this Lord Prefect of Northbone Prefecture is being very courteous upon knowing that you are here. Can it be that he has heard of you? Can it be that your fame, Boss, has spread all the way from the Infernal Realm to the Netherworld?”
“We’ll know when we see him.” Linley felt very joyful right now. “Also, when we meet the Lord Prefect, don’t cause any trouble. We’re here to ask him for help.”
“I know. If necessary, I will just…” Bebe rubbed his nose.
Linley couldn’t help but chuckle. This trip to the Netherworld seemed to be going rather smoothly. He was able to so easily meet with the Lord Prefect of Northbone Prefecture.
“Lord Linley, here we are.” The soldier stood outside the castle gates.
Linley could already see quite a few maids moving towards the castle with platters of food. Linley and Bebe immediately entered this castle.
A few hundred meters away from the Lord Prefect’s castle, there was another, slightly smaller castle. At this moment, a man dressed in long gray robes was standing on the veranda, casually enjoying the scenery. If Linley were to see this person, Linley would immediately recognize him. This was the person he dreamed about killing… the Vile King of the Gebados Planar Prison, ‘Odin’.
When Odin had arrived in the Netherworld, he had been transported here by the Sacred Undead Mountain as well.
Thus, his first stop was to Northbone Prefecture. While journeying through Northbone Prefecture, he quickly understood that given his current level of power, although he could be considered a supreme expert in the Netherworld, he hadn’t truly reached the pinnacle of power. There was no way he could compare to the Lord Prefects of the Netherworld. And while journeying, he had encountered the Lord Prefect of Northbone Prefecture.
After sparring multiple times with the Lord Prefect, he wholeheartedly submitted to the other man’s power, and so had become the Lord Prefect’s subordinate, becoming the third Envoy controlled by the Lord Prefect of Northbone Prefecture.
“Eh?” Odin looked into the distance in surprise.
He saw two figures be led into the Lord Prefect’s castle.
“Them!” Odin’s pupils suddenly contracted, and his face changed dramatically. “How has Linley come to the Netherworld as well?” How could Odin forget the humiliation his divine wind clone had suffered, back in the Yulan continent? Even though that sort of humiliation, to him, was quite basic…
But to Odin, it was still the greatest humiliation he had ever suffered!
He hated Linley!
Back then, he h
ad viciously snarled at Linley, telling Linley to come to the Netherworld to find him.
But who would have thought that Linley would actually come to the Netherworld! “It seems he is fixated on killing me.” Odin’s gaze was cold. “He even dares to come meet with the Lord Prefect. Does Linley know that I’m here, or is he here on other business?” Odin was still rather puzzled as to whether or not Linley knew he was here.
If he did, would Linley dare to so openly meet with the Lord Prefect?
It must be understood that Odin was the Lord Prefect’s subordinate.
“I had wanted to just let things be done with. Who would have imagined that you would chase me into the Netherworld? Hmph.” Odin was so angry that he suddenly moved, flying out of his own castle towards the Lord Prefect’s castle.
His divine wind clone had gotten a complete sense of Linley’s power. Odin understood… that in terms of material attacks, Linley far surpassed him. Even in soul attacks… Linley had enough power to make him, Odin, enter a dazed state and lose consciousness. Through this, Odin had become certain…
That Linley wasn’t weaker than him in terms of soul attacks either!
“To kill Linley… by myself, I won’t be able to do it. I’ll have to ask the Lord Prefect to help.” Odin immediately flew in through a side door, entering the Lord Prefect’s castle. The guards all knew who Odin was, and so didn’t block him.
Within the guest hall.
A long table was covered with all sorts of delicacies, and bottles of precious wine had been prepared as well. Linley and Bebe were seated off to one side, while facing them was a blue-robed, graceful woman. In the host’s seat, there sat a handsome, middle-aged white-robed man with a white beard, beaming so widely his eyes were creased.
This middle-aged man was the Lord Prefect of Northbone Prefecture.
“Linley, although I’m of the Netherworld, I’ve heard of the famous name of Elder Linley of the Azure Dragon clan. For you to come visit me today, Linley, is truly a joyous occasion,” the middle-aged man said in a very gentle voice. “Let me make the introductions. This is my wife, Anita! Oh, and I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Sayant!”
“Mr. Sayant. Madame Anita.” Linley smiled. “This is my good friend, Bebe.” Bebe immediately squeezed out a smile.
Linley was still quite happy. Given the reaction of the Lord Prefect, it should be easy to negotiate with him.
“I just heard of you not too long ago, Lord Linley, and now you are here in my prefecture. This truly is a joyful surprise. Lord Linley, might I ask if there’s a special reason for your presence?” Sayant beamed, his eyes twinkling. “If there’s anything you need, just speak. If I, Sayant, can help, I will.”
Linley felt relieved, and the nearby Bebe immediately laughed, “You’ll definitely be able to help. You are a Sovereign’s Emissary, after all.”
Sayant was startled, then laughed and nodded.
“Mr. Sayant, the main issue is that I have some very important business, and so I need to meet with a Netherworld Sovereign. Only… I have no idea where they live. I’d like to ask you, Mr. Sayant, to give me some guidance as to where I should go in order to meet with a Netherworld Sovereign. It doesn’t have to be a specific one of the seven; any of the seven will suffice,” Linley said hurriedly.
“You wish to see a Sovereign?” Sayant was shocked, and his nearby wife also stared at Linley and Bebe in surprise.
“Can you tell me why you are going to meet with a Netherworld Sovereign?” Sayant asked.
Linley hesitated slightly.
Sayant immediately laughed, “I’m just asking. Right… if you want to meet a Netherworld Sovereign, this will be rather tricky. I do know where a Netherworld Sovereign lives, but even if you go there, if the Sovereign isn’t willing to meet you, your trip will have been in vain. Sovereigns are proud and lofty individuals.”
Linley felt overjoyed. So Sayant did indeed know!
“Mr. Sayant, please tell me where a Sovereign resides. As for whether or not the Sovereign is willing to meet with me, that’ll be up to my own luck,” Linley said hurriedly.
Sayant hesitated momentarily, then nodded slightly.
Right at this moment…
“Lord Prefect!” A voice echoed in Sayant’s mind. Sayant couldn’t help but frown, then sent back in response through divine sense, “Odin, what is it?”
15
THROWING ONE’S LIFE AWAY
Odin’s interruption did indeed irritate Sayant.
“Lord Prefect, there is currently a person named Linley present visiting you, correct?” Odin sent through divine sense.
“Right, that is indeed the case.” Sayant was rather surprised at how quickly Odin had found out.
Odin hurriedly sent back through divine sense, “Lord Prefect, why has Linley come?”
“Linley wishes to meet with a Sovereign, and asked me where a Sovereign lives. Why?” Sayant was rather puzzled.
Odin was shocked as well. “Meeting with a Sovereign?” Odin thought it had to do with him, but he still immediately responded frantically, “Lord Prefect, this Linley and I have an irreconcilable enmity between the two of us. My son and my brother were both killed by him! Even my divine wind clone was humiliated and tortured to death by him. Lord Prefect… please, help me get revenge. So long as we can kill Linley, I, Odin, will never forget your benevolence, Lord Prefect.”
As Odin saw it, Lord Prefect Sayant was a Sovereign’s Emissary who had a Sovereign artifact. He was definitely a truly supreme expert.
He should be absolutely confident in being able to kill Linley!
“Kill Linley? Out of the question.” Sayant was rather angry now.
“Lord Prefect.” Odin was frantic. “Lord Prefect, if I was able to kill him, I would have killed him long ago. But I’m not able to. Lord Prefect, I beg you, kill Linley. So long as you kill him, if you have any orders for me, Lord Prefect, even if it costs me my life, I will carry them out.”
Sayant sent back angrily through divine sense, “Listen clearly. It isn’t that I don’t wish to help you gain revenge. Only… I’m not confident in being able to do so either!”
“Not confident?” Odin didn’t dare believe it. “How can you not be confident?”
“Odin, you should be aware that not long ago, I went to visit an old friend and that I just returned not long ago, ” Sayant said.
“Right.” Odin knew of this.
“I had gone to visit the Patriarch of the Ashcroft clan. It was the Nether Serpent himself who told me about Linley. Do you know… that when Linley was a God, he was able to kill multiple Seven Star Fiends by himself!” Sayant barked back through divine sense.
Odin was stunned. “God? How is that possible?”
“Based on the projections of the eight great clans, now that Linley is a Highgod, it is very likely that he has reached the level of being a Paragon! Even if the projections of the eight great clans are incorrect, given his amazing performance as a God, now that Linley is a Highgod, his strength is such that even I am not certain of victory against him!” Sayant sent back.
Not to mention, ‘victory over’ and ‘killing’ were two different concepts.
Sayant wasn’t confident of even being able to defeat Linley, much less kill him.
“Tell me, am I supposed to go kill a presumed Paragon-level expert?” Sayant sent back.
Odin was stupefied.
He knew that Linley was powerful, but not even in his wildest imaginings would he have thought that the Ashcroft clan’s Patriarch would acknowledge Linley’s power, and even suspect him to be a Paragon. This was an extremely high-level appraisal! After all, there was no way to judge from the surface if someone was a Highgod Paragon or not.
For example, Dunnington. Others only ‘suspected’ him of being a Paragon.
Even after someone fused all six profound mysteries, others wouldn’t be able to judge that just from looking at the person.
It was precisely because he knew Linley to be inc
redibly powerful that Sayant was so courteous. Otherwise, given his status as a Sovereign’s Emissary, why would he act in such a manner? Unfortunately… none of them knew that Linley had the ‘black stone’ which the Redbud Sovereign had bestowed upon him, which was why he had such astonishing power.
“Lord Prefect. Lord Prefect!” Odin sent back frantically. “Linley is fixated on killing me. Lord Prefect, I beg of you, please help me come up with a way to kill Linley. Oh, right… Lord Prefect, Linley wants to meet a Sovereign, right? Have the Sovereign kill him.”
“Have you gone stupid?” Sayant was truly beginning to grow angry now. He immediately sent back, “Do you think the Sovereigns will act at your beck and call?”
Only now did Odin come to his senses.
“But your suggestion does remind me of a method,” Sayant said.
“You have a method?” Odin was overjoyed.
“Enough. Don’t speak to me through divine sense again. Wait there,” Sayant barked.
Conversations through divine sense occurred at lightning speed. Although they had exchanged tens of sentences, in truth, not even a second had passed. In the banquet hall, Linley and Bebe were looking at Sayant, awaiting Sayant’s answer.
“I do know where a Sovereign lives, but Linley,” Sayant said with a solemn expression. “The residence of a Sovereign is set up to prevent others from disturbing them. Thus, their residences are in very dangerous locations… even Seven Star Fiends wouldn’t dare to casually go barging in. Thus, Linley, I urge you to reconsider it.”
“Mr. Sayant, no need for you to be concerned. Please tell me where to go,” Linley said urgently.
“Tell us where it is. We’re growing really impatient,” Bebe mumbled to the side.
The Planar Wars: Book 7 of the Coiling Dragon Saga Page 12
